The present invention relates to a color video printing apparatus, and particularly to a video printing apparatus capable of selectively performing printing of a video image in multicolor or monochromatic printing mode depending upon a sort of a recording medium.
Color video printers for printing a video image in multicolor on a sheet are well known in the art. Many color video printers include a thermal head for printing the video image, for instance, on a sheet of thermal-transfer type by means of a color ink ribbon. The color ink ribbon includes a substrate film and heat-sublimatable color layer formed on the substrate film. The color layer has a plurality of color blocks arranged in series in spaced relation to each other. Each of the color blocks comprises segments arranged in a predetermined order, for example, yellow, magenta and cyan colors. The segments are in turn printed on the sheet of thermal-transfer type to form a multicolor image thereon.
The monochromatic printing may be performed by transferring the three segments of the color block on the sheet in the predetermined sequence. However, the time required for the monochromatic printing by using the color ink ribbon is longer than that for the monochromatic printing on a sheet of thermalsensible type without using the color ink ribbon. In addition, the sheet of thermal-transfer type is more expensive than that of thermalsensible type.
There is a demand to provide a color video printer capable of selectively performing a monochromatic printing on a sheet of thermalsensible type without using a color ink ribbon in addition to a multicolor printing on a sheet of thermal-transfer type by using the color ink ribbon.
An object of the present invention is to provide a color video printing apparatus capable of shifting from a multicolor printing mode to a monochromatic printing mode and vice versa.